The Ministry of State for Federal National Council Affairs, MFNCA, organised the third interactive lecture in the ‘Electoral Culture Virtual Majlis’ initiative – a series of remote lectures the Ministry organises via videoconferencing to spread awareness about parliamentary processes and accomplishments in the UAE, and establish a culture of political participation among all members of the community.
The first lecture was entitled, “A Pillar of Human Rights in the UAE: The Federal National Council, FNC, elections,” and featured Dr Muhammad Butti Al Shamsi, Associate Professor of Administrative Law at the Dubai Police Academy.
In his talk, Al Shamsi underlined the importance of establishing a culture of human rights, and reviewed FNC Elections.
“The UAE has always prioritised human rights,” he added, “continuing on its cultural heritage and in keeping with its constitutional guarantees for civil liberties and its legislative frameworks that promote justice, equality and tolerance. The UAE is home to numerous organisations and entities working to ensure all human rights standards are met, which reflects how important this issue truly is in Emirati society.
“Since its establishment, the UAE has succeeded in creating an inspired model rooted in respecting all people, nationalities, cultures, and customs. This, in turn, has enhanced the UAE’s global reputation, making it a second home of choice for people from more than 200 nationalities who now live here, enjoying their full rights and all the benefits guaranteed by the UAE constitution and legislation,” Al Shamsi noted.
“FNC Elections are a prime example of how human rights are practiced in the UAE, where citizens are guaranteed the right to express their opinions transparently and participate in elections to choose their representatives, who relay their concerns to decision makers,” he said.
Al Shamsi described the 2019 Federal National Council Elections as transparent and honest, in which candidates were able to freely exercise their rights and voters were able to reach polling places and cast their votes without confronting obstacles or restrictions, in line with the principles of equal opportunities and equality.
